


Fearful of the Light, Fearful of (what lies within) the Darkness

by ThatDarnLakeSiren



Category: Don't Starve (Video Game)
Genre: Discussions of Past Trauma, Fluff, Found Family, Hurt/Comfort, Injury, M/M, The struggles of survival, discussions about abuse, hounds, how to tag, will tag more as I go along
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-14
Updated: 2020-02-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:41:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 485
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22264294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThatDarnLakeSiren/pseuds/ThatDarnLakeSiren
Summary: Surviving alone is hard. Surviving together should, theoretically, be easier. Theoretically. Having to survive with your former captor is anything but easy. Throwing a kid into the mix, a kid who adored Maxwell without any discernible rhyme or reason... oddly enough made things tolerable.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	Fearful of the Light, Fearful of (what lies within) the Darkness

**Author's Note:**

> entirely self indulgent. I should be asleep right now but instead I'm writing this

"I _can't!!_ " Max heaved a breath, hunching his shoulders and turning away. Quieter, he said, "I can't. Despite whatever," he raises a hand in an indefinable gesture, "-assumptions or grudge you have for me, Wilson, that pushes you to say such things... I doubt it'll be as easy a fix as you think. I-" he stopped, spitting the words out hurriedly, "I am not as powerful as I once was... I have the Codex but no clue how to use it now. And physically I'm not terribly strong. You have every advantage over me... I've only knowledge. Why you haven't simply beaten it out of me, I'm not sure. You've plenty of reason to, all things considered, regardless of what I know."

Wilson was quiet, thoughtful and a little at a loss with it all. Yes, he'd been angry, and yes, he had initially tried to throw fists with the former king, but now... Max just looked hunched up and kinda pathetic... it was sad, almost. The man always trying to avoid any sort of work or physical labor was infuriating, but he had a legitimate reason as for _why_ struggled to perform certain tasks. Max was frail and not very strong, unfortunately. Possibly due to his many years on the throne... the man really wasn't cut out for most manual labor. It was understandable, really... but still a frustration. Max was far too proud to admit his weakness... or so Wilson would have assumed, had Max explicitly stated that he was _afraid_ of Wilson hurting him. Maybe not outright, but compared to his usual cryptic remarks, it was plain speech. 

It was difficult to be angry. Especially now... but they still had a problem. Wilson was too injured from the latest hound attack to gather logs, and they were almost out... they wouldn't last more than a night, if that, without more wood. Which is what started this argument to begin with... 

"...I wish you'd told me sooner how frail you are. But... thank you for telling me now." He spoke quietly, earning a quick, startled glance from Max. "I mean it. I wouldn't have been so hard on you about it if you'd simply told me."

Max huffed sharply, grimacing. "Would you? Would you really have done so? You had no reason to believe me. I had no reason to think you would, either, and not call me out for lying or trying to trick you."

Wilson hesitated... he wasn't _wrong_ per say... but... "...it would've been better than evading the issue and refusing to help." He said softly.

Max glanced at him, suspicious, but sighed softly, accepting his words as they were. 

"...we need wood." Wilson said after a moment.

Max glanced at him, weighing his options... as well as the scientists injured state. He finally stood, gathered up a backpack, an axe, and a torch, and without a word, left camp.


End file.
